Nottingham, UK

Nottingham and Ningbo established official sister-city relations in September 2005.

Nottingham, the largest urban conurbation in the East Midlands region, lies about 120 miles north of London, in the center of the UK. It is a key transportation hub and the second largest distribution center after London, with three airports located nearby. It is about two hours by train from London to Nottingham. The city has a population of 270,000.

Nottingham is one of the UK’s most historic cities, and there are a number of famous scenic spots in the city, including Wollaton Park; Newstead Abbey, the ancestral home of the famous poet Lord Byron; the Robin Hood Memorial; Nottingham Castle; and a number of excellent museums and galleries.

Many of the UK’s most beautiful cities are also easily accessible from Nottingham, such as Shakespeare’s hometown Stratford-upon-Avon, Cambridge, Oxford, and the ancient Roman city of Bath.

Nottingham has also been home to many famous historical figures, chief among them the legendary outlaw and folk hero Robin Hood, who famously haunted nearby Sherwood Forest in order to rob from the rich and give to the poor.

The city was also the hometown of the great Romantic poet Lord Byron, as well as the novelist DH Lawrence, many of whose famous works, including Women in Love, Sons and Lovers and Lady Catterley’s Lover, were set in the region around Nottingham.

Nottingham's economy is developing rapidly and has a low unemployment rate. It is particularly successful as a center for the manufacturing, technology, architecture and service sectors.

Founded in 1881, University of Nottingham was the first British university to receive a Royal Charter after the end of World War II. One of the UK’s top universities, University of Nottingham is comprised of 7 schools and 59 departments.

There are 28,000 British students and 5,000 international students from more than 100 countries enrolled at the university. Occupying an area of 1,400 hectares, the university’s campus is also one of the most beautiful in the UK.

The university also has three campuses in Malaysia, Singapore, and Ningbo. Yang Fujia, a native of Ningbo and a famous nuclear physicist, is the chancellor of University of Nottingham Ningbo China.